Youth Politics, Agency and Subjectivity

Abstract

The question whether youth formations like Blackwash were merely practising precocious youth politics or were seriously revolutionary, begs the need to explore the concept “youth.” Since the majority of these youth formations’ membership and affiliation are those categorized as youth, I have in this chapter closely examined the concept “youth,” more importantly “black youth.” Since its inception, BC has been synonymous with the young. That tradition has persisted. I seek to understand factors that propel youth agency and subjectivity and the strengths and limitations of confining agency to a single age category. Indeed, Azanian youth are the most betrayed given their role in bringing apartheid to an end, while their older comrades arrogated themselves leadership positions in politics and the economy. This youth has been termed the “lost” generation, and later on “kwaito” generation. In the contemporary, many are talking of “m-xit,” “amakipkip,” “skinny jeans” generation and “izikhotane” who are said to be preoccupied with diversions and are in pursuit of hedonistic pleasures.